In a bid to combat increasing instances of fraud, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office is advising the public to remain cautious following a spate of phone scams where individuals are posing as law enforcement officers. According to a recent warning issued by the MCSO, these scams often involve the use of the real names of MCSO personnel, including retired-Captain Derrick Peterson. Impostors have been reported to manipulate caller ID systems, making it appear as if the calls originate from the MCSO.
The MCSO has outlined the scammers' methods, which include providing fake badge and case numbers and claiming the individual has an active warrant or owes court fines. They often insist on payment through gift cards, cash apps, or cryptocurrency to avoid arrest. Scammers may also fake background noise to simulate an office environment, and since the caller ID appears legitimate, the MCSO urges the public to be cautious. One notable tactic is the scammer's insistence on keeping the victim on the line until payment is made, prohibiting contact with friends or family for advice, and potentially using personal information, like home addresses, to add credibility to their fraudulent claims.
A stark reminder is given by the MCSO, emphasizing that they "NEVER conduct matters concerning warrant service, missed jury duty, missed court dates or payment of fines over the phone," as stated on their official website. The public is urged by the MCSO to disregard any requests for payment over the phone stemming from individuals claiming to represent the Sheriff's Office; it's a clear indication of a scam in progress.
The scammers sometimes go to the extent of providing a callback number that connects to a falsified MCSO phone tree to seem more convincing, and upon receiving payment, they audaciously promise reimbursement can be collected from an MCSO office; the MCSO encourages anyone receiving such suspicious calls to report them and not to engage with the callers or send any form of payment.
